Republican leaders criticize House income-tax push after record-length debate

House and Senate Republican leaders used a day-59 media availability to denounce the House’s recent passage of an income-tax proposal and to outline the party’s next political and legal responses.

Representative Drew Stokesberry, the House Republican leader, said the minority staged a record 24‑hour debate to show voters “what was at stake” and to press amendments aimed at protecting constituents. “We asked them to bring it up at 09:00 on Tuesday. They said no… so we brought it up at 06:00,” Stokesberry said, describing the marathon effort as intended to force daylight debate rather than late-night votes. He warned that the package includes higher B&O and data-center taxes and argued those measures would drive businesses and jobs out of the state.

Senate Republican leader John Braun echoed that characterization and said the majority’s budget “wildly overspent” and used “budget gimmicks” that will drain reserves. Braun said a straightforward referendum was blocked and predicted a legal challenge: “I think it’s extraordinarily likely that there’ll be a legal challenge,” he said, citing what he described as a longstanding 1933 state Supreme Court precedent on property and taxation.

Republican leaders framed immediate next steps as threefold: press legal challenges in state court, pursue ballot options where possible, and use the minority’s procedural tools to highlight the measure’s consequences. Stokesberry said Republicans sought amendments to require a referendum or to protect a millionaire exemption but that Democrats repeatedly rejected those proposals. “If Democrats were so confident this were a popular idea… they should have welcomed public input,” he said.

On vote counts, Republican speakers repeatedly referenced margins from the prior floor action: Stokesberry said the income-tax measure passed after a prolonged debate and described a bipartisan bloc of opposition in the House, while others said the measure passed by a narrow margin and that 51 majority-party votes supported final passage.

Republicans also warned of fiscal consequences. Stokesberry predicted the budget conference report would leave less than $1 billion in the rainy day fund and forecast additional multi‑billion dollar liabilities for the next biennium, including anticipated increases from collective-bargaining agreements. He said those pressures, combined with the new tax structure, will set the state up for future deficits and further tax increases.

The leaders urged constituents to follow the legal and political process that will play out in the courts and at the ballot box. Stokesberry closed by saying the minority’s actions were intended to represent the voters who elected them and to continue a campaign of oversight and challenge.

The availability ended with leaders thanking reporters and noting the legislature may reconvene if a special session is called.